William jackson



NITED STATES nieren.

PATENT WILLIAM JACKSON, OF ALLEGHENY, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO J. M. PORTER, R. lV. MILLER, R. S. STEPHENSON, AND J. A. MCOORD, ALL OF SAME PLACE.

JAC K SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 449,937, dated April 7, 1891.

Application filed -Tune 13, 1890. Serial No. 355,343. (No model.)

To allwwm it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM JACKSON, a resident of Allegheny, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Jacks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and eXact description thereof.

My invention relates to lifting-jacks, its object being to provide a cheap and simple form of lifting-jack which can be employed in any of the ordinary ways in which such jacks are used, either for raising or lowering the load or for dropping the same, as may be desired.

My invention comprises, generally stated, the combination, with the supporting body or frame, of an annularly-corrugated lifting-bar, a tilting orrocking sleeve fitting around the same and having a passage through it provided with shoulders at the ends diagonally opposite to each other adapted to engage with the corrugations of the bar and to be freed therefrom on the tilting of the sleeve.

It also consists in such tilting sleeve reciprocating within the frame, so as to raise or lower the lifting-bar, as may be desired.

It also consists in one such tilting sleeve pivoted to the frame and acting to hold the bar and one such sleeye reciprocating within the frame to raise or lower the bar.

It also consists in certain other improvements-such as in the reversing mechanismto provide for the lowering or raising of the load, as may be desired, and in the dropping mechanism, as will be hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will describe the same more fully, referring vto the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a side view of a jack embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section thereof. Fig. 3 is alike view showing the parts in another position. Fig. 4 is a diagram view illustrating the reversing of the jack, and Fig. 5 illustrates the way of dropping the same.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in each.

In my improved jack I may employ any suitable case or body, that shown in the drawings being the most desirable, as it is the simplest and cheapest in construction, the lifting-bar being preferably cylindrical, and an ordinary tube a being therefore employed vto form the case of 4the jack. The base d of the jack is formed of a casting, which is shrunken on the lower'end of the tube a, and the frame b of the jack is formed of a casting shrunken on the upper end of thetube a, so forming the entire body of the jack. This frame b has the two side plates b b2, which form the gnideways for the tilting sleeves c d,and it also has a bearing d formed thereon,

in which the lower sleeve d is pivoted, and

in which, also, for simplicity of construction and cheapness, the pitman e is pivoted, the hand-lever f being mounted at the upper end of said pitman. In the top plate b3 of the frame b a guiding-passage is formed, through which the lifting-bar g passes, this lifting-bar extending down through the two sleeves c d and into the tubular case a, and the liftingbar carrying a head g'. The upper sleeve c is pivoted to the lifting-lever f at c', as shown, so that said sleeve may be raised or lowered by the lever in operating the jack. are practically all the operative parts of the jack, the special constructions of the parts being hereinafter described.

The lifting-bar g may be either formed from a solid rod planed or turned to shape or from a tube suitably corrugated, and it is preferably formed cylindrical with the corru- These.-

gations extending around the bar, as shown.

Where the bar is held from rotation, however, as will be seen from the description of the apparatus, the corrugations or teeth need Aonly be formed on the opposite sides of the bar and in line to engage with the sleeves, and this is included within my invention.

The sleeves c d are of practically the same construction, and their operation is to grasp the.liftingbar on the tilting or rocking of the sleeve in such way as to bring the shoulders or corrugated faces lc Za thereof into engagement with the teeth or corrugations of the bar, but to release' the bar when the sleeve is tilted or rocked in the opposite direction.

IOO

The passage through the sleeve is clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, said passage being diagonal to the length of the sleeve and having the shoulders or corrugated faces t k formed on one side at the upper end thereof and on the other side at the lower end thereof, while leading from said shouldered faces are the inclined planed faces Z l', formed at an ir cline to the sleeve itself, so that when the sleeve is rocked or tilted out of a perpendicular position the faces l Z are brought closest to the lifting-bar, and the shouldered faces k 7o are drawn away there-- the corrugations of the lifting-bar and holdthe same. It will be noticed that the pivotal point of each sleeve is at one side thereof, so that the entire weight of the sleeve will act to throw the shoulders or corrugated faces 7c k into contact with the bar, and that the lower sleeve d, which is pivoted at dl to the frame b and is free ,to swing on its pivot, is held normally in such position that its shouldered faces lo k engage with the lifting-bar. It will also be not-iced that as the reciprocating sleeve c is raised or lowered its shouldered faces will also be normally in engagement with the lifting-bar, and that the'inovement to throw out said shouldered faces of either sleeve is a rocking movement on their pivotal points, so that in the ordinary operation of the jack when the reciprocating sleeve cis raised it will grasp the bar and lift it, which action will tilt or rock the lower sleeve d, throwing the shouldered faces It k out of engagement with the lifting-bar; but as soon as the lifting-pressure is removed the shouldered faces of the lower sleeve will engage with the shoulders or rings on the lifting-bar and hold it 4in its raised position, and as the upper sleeve is lowered it will be tilted on its pivotal point and its shouldered faces thrown out of engagement with the liftingbar, the bar being thus raised by the upper sleeve and held by the lower sleeve during the time that the upper sleeve is lowered to take a new hold.

As will be seen by the sectional views the y inner diameterof the sleeve at or near its ployed to raise the rear end of the sleeve or,a

rock the same in an upward direction, so that the jack may be gradually lowered without any reversing mechanism simply by raising the sleeve through which it is desired that the lifting-bar shall pass, so preventing the faces of the sleeve from engaging therewith. For the purpose of reversing the jack, however, I prefer to form in one side plate of the frame I) a longitudinal slot, as shown at n, Fig I, each sleeve having a vertical arm or lever 19 or p', the slot n being of sufficient width to permit of the free play of such arms therein, and I apply to these arms any suitable spring mechanism which will control their tilting or rocking motion, according as it is desired to raise or lower the lifting-bar. The simplest form of spring mechanism for thispurpose I find to be a spring-bar r, which is secured by bolting or riveting to the upper arm p, secured to the upper sleeve o, and eX- tends down within the slot in line with the lowerarm p', secured in the sleeve d, the spring-bar fr being secured in the right side of the arm p, and du ring the operation of lifting these springbars resting against the right side of the arm p. It will be evident that this pressure will naturally cause both sleeves to tilt or rock in the direction such as will force the shouldered faces 7c k thereof into contact with the bar. If, however, the spring-bar r is placed on the other side of the arm p', secured to the lower sleeve d, the direction of pressure on said sleeves will be reversed, the pressure being such as to draw away the faces 71: 7o of the sleeves, and so tilting the sleeve as to throw the faces Z Z toward the bar. The action of the jack is then as follows: Let it be supposed that the shouldered faces la 7e of the lower sleeve are for holding the lifting-bar, the load on the same forcing the sleeve down against the pressure of the spring-arm. The upper sleeve c can then be raised until it strikes the top plate b3 of the frame b, when the pressure of the top plate on the top of the sleeve will so tilt it as to cause th'e shouldered faces kk to engage with the corrugations of the lifting-bar, in which case as the upper sleeve reaches the highest point of its stroke it lifts the load slightly, so freeing the lower sleeve from its Weight, when the spring r will tilt or rock the lower sleeve upward, freeing it from the lifting-bar, and as the load is then carried by the upper sleeve it can'be lowered through the lower sleeve, the stroke continuing until the upper sleeve comes in contact with the lower sleeve, the rear faces thereof neeting, and the upper sleeve forcing the lower sleeve downand rocking the same so that its shouldered faces 7c 7e engage with the lifting-bar, and as soon as the upper sleeve is free from the load the spring r will tilt or rock it so that it is free to be raised around the bar, this operation being repeated until the jack is lowered.

As it is desirable to be able to drop the load quickly, especiallyl in what are known as railroad-jacks, I provide a latch or plug s with jacks intended for this purpose, such latch or plug s being preferably pivoted to the frame b in line of the base-plate thereof, as shown in Fig. 5, so that it may be swung under the IOO IIO

` base of the lower sleeve d, between it and the base-plate of the frame b, in suchposition that it will prevent the sleeve from rocking down, so that its shouldered faces may engage with the lifting-bar. As soon, therefore, as in the movement of the upper sleeve it is brought against this lower sleeve on the next downward stroke its shouldered faces will be withdrawn from the lifting-bar, and as the lower sleeve is held so that its shouldered faces cannot engage therewith, the lifting-bar will be free to drop.

In the use of the jack as above described, it may be placed under the load to be raised, and the head g of the bar g be raised byhand up to the load, being drawn through the sleeves, which tilt or rock and permit its passage, and upon the movement of the handlever the upper sleeve will in its natural position engage by its shouldered faces with the lifting-bar and raise the same through the lower sleeve, which as soon as the lifting motion ceases will by its shouldered faces engage with the lifting-bar and hold it when the upper sleeve is being lowered to take a fresh hold. Y

Where the jack is manipulated by hand to lower it, the operator by pressing on the shoulders c2 d2 can release the sleeves from their load and gradually lower the jack; or, if the sleeves are provided with the arms p p and the spring r, by drawing out said spring and placing it on the other side of the arm p the jack is arranged to automatically lower the 4 load. If it is desired to drop the load, this can also be accomplished by the latch or plug s, as above described.

The jack has thus all of the necessary movements in lifting-jacks, and at the same time it is extremely simple in construction and can be constructed at a low cost, the principal parts being cast to shape, and requiring little or no dressing. Practical use of the jack has shown it to be eflicient for the purposes de sired.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In lifting-jacks, the combination, with the body or frame, of a corrugated liftingbar, a tilting or rocking sleeve fitting around the same and provided with shouldered faces at diagonally-opposite ends to engage with the corrugations of the bar and sustain the load and to be freed therefrom upon the tilting or rocking of the sleeve, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In lifting-jacks, the combination, with the frame, of a corrugated lifting-bar, a reciprocating tilting sleeve fitting around the same and having shouldered faces at diagonally-opposite ends, and a hand-lever pivoted to the tilting sleeve, substantially as and for the purposes setforth.

3. In lifting-jacks, the combination, with thebody or frame, of a corrugated liftingbar, a sleeve pivoted to the frame and fitting around the bar and provided with shouldered faces at diagonally-opposite` ends, and a reciprocating tilting sleeve fitting around the bar and provided with'shouldered faces at diagonally-opposite ends, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In a lifting-jack, the combination, with the frame, of a corrugated lifting-bar, a tilting sleeve fitting around the same and provided with shouldered faces at diagonally-opposite ends to engage with the bar, and spring mechanism engaging with the tilting sleeve to control the tilting motion thereof, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. In a lifting-jack, the combination, with the frame, of a corrugated lifting-bar, tilting sleeves fitting around the bar and having shouldered faces at diagonally-opposite ends to engage therewith, said sleeves having arms thereon, and spring mechanism extending from one arm to the other to control the tilting motion of the sleeves, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. In a lifting-jack, the combination of a frame, a corrugated lifting-bar, tilting sleeves tting around the bar and having shouldered faces at diagonally-opposite ends to engage therewith, said sleeves having arms p p thereon, and the spring-bar r, secured to the arm p and extending down beside the arm p substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

7. In a lifting-jack, the combination of a guiding-frame, a corrugated lifting-bar extending through the same, a tilting or rocking sleeve pivoted in the frame, and a latch or plug to pass between the base of the frame IOO and said sleeve to drop the weight, substan- VILLIAM J ACKSON.l

Witnesses:

J. R. MCCREERY, ROBT. D. ToTTEN. 

